Crimson Drops
by Embers N Ashes
Summary: "You've failed yet again, Kakashi." He said with a victorious smirk. His arm pulling Sakura closer to his form. "You could have never kept her from me for long. It was only a matter of time." Kakashi's worst nightmare had become reality, and as he gazed at the girl he considered his daughter he knew he had lost.


**Man, I just realized how many prologues to my stories I have completed. I may not update each one constantly but I ****ail try. **

**Another vampire story. Guh, I don't know what about vampires makes me want to write about them. Might as well get this out of my system by writing a story. **

**The good news is that I have everything planned out, fully. The only problem would be actually writing it. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story. **

**I do not own Naruto**

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Crimson Drops

The sound of heavy boots hitting an old wooden floor rang throughout the dim and gloomy chamber of an empty mansion. Candles, lit and old, lined the dark hallway but did nothing to vanquish the darkness that held the household in its cold steely grasp. The air was bitter, stale, and sharp, the touch across the skin and the inner flesh of the throat unforgiving. A solid shadow, in the form of a man, traveled in the darkness that resided in the corridor.

He moved silently, but his boots betrayed him. Despite how tenderly he stepped, they still would utter a whisper of a sound that would be amplified by the old wooden panels, shattering the dwelling silence. The silence that followed these brief snippets of sound was haunting, and was driving the man's heart mad with anticipation. He desperately wanted the silence to break, for some sound to signal that he was not alone in this dark eerie house.

The man was searching for something, but timidly, like he was hoping, no praying, that he would not find it. Or better yet… it would not find him. Despite all his training he did not develop a dangerous arrogance, for he learned earlier on in his life that to do so could cost him his life. The scar across his left eye a grim reminder.

Life was a thing he greatly valued. The man did not consider himself a coward or selfish. No. In fact, he believed that by preserving his life he would later be able to protect the lives of others. It was his job after all, and had been since the day he was born. He often considered it his service to the community that housed him.

He rarely got paid for his service, the special cases usually being linked to religious entities or his "private" and infrequent investors, and most never knew, or even suspected, that this is what he did when the sun went down. He was a hunter by nature, trained and bred to be a killer. One that would be blessed with the mission to rid the earth of the evils that hid in its shadows. It ran in his blood, and it was his blood that constantly reminded him of what he was, the last of his family. He was the lone survivor of a tragic accident, at least to the public eye, and the only heir to the family's estate and treasures. He would have to thank the devil himself and his forsaken children for his current condition.

Suddenly a low, feral hiss broke the silence, making the man turn on his heal and pull a silver stake from a loop of his belt. He faced the barely lit hallway that he had just recently traversed. A pair of glowing crimson orbs stared back at him from within the curtain of shadows. The hunter did not shake with fear as he gazed into the fiery eyes, for he had seen them many times before. He stood his ground, his stance quickly and gracefully slipping into a defensive crouch.

"So we meet again, Sasuke," the main stated coolly, his voice echoing in the silence that followed.

"Much to my displeasure, Kakashi," the creature growled in response after a moment's pause. The creature's eyes reflected its anger and irritation. "It appears that you still will not heed my warning."

"I am not obligated to, since you never heeded mine, _dear apprentice_." Kakashi removed his hood so his face was revealed, not that the creature needed it to recognize the man before him.

"Do not bring the past into this, _master_," the creature named Sasuke spat, his eyes alight with something akin to resentment. "You of all people should know what affect it has on my temperament."

"That I do," the older man muttered. "Your emotions still cloud your judgment. That was-"

"My downfall? Spare me your pitiful lecture!"

"Ah, so your fury rears its ugly head."

"Do not mock me!" Was the sharp reply from the shadows.

"It is so easy to rile you up, _boy_!" With that said the creature charged the hunter with inhuman speed. The older man raised his weapon and waited for contact. He knew that this battle would be a close one, for he had trained this creature when he was human all he had known. A part of him felt guilty, remorseful for what might become of his dear apprentice.

Blood, mostly his, covered the empty and dusty halls. The once noble hunter reduced to a crumbled heap, his breathing slow and shallow. The man knew it would only be a matter of time until he would be still, grow cold, and fade into oblivion. He gazed, with half-lidded eyes, at the young immortal crouched before him, crimson orbs connecting with his. Kakashi remembered when those eyes were a deep onyx, and when he first gazed into them. The image of a filthy little boy, barely seven, filled his mind. Bright intelligent black orbs had stared up at him with such hope and promise. The image, however, sadly faded to the monster before him.

"It's a shame to see you like this Kakashi," his past student stated flatly, breaking the hunter's trance. "A pity really. You were once feared, your strength unrivaled." He sighed in mock disappointment. "Now you're reduced to nothing but a husk of your old self. You really have grown weak."

"No, I predicted that one day you would surpass me. But I never thought that it would like this," He whispered hoarsely, blood lining his throat making it difficult for him to speak. He paused, a sickening cough taking over his form, shaking his whole body. More blood spewed from his mouth as he jerked, his past pupil only watching on with disinterest. "I never thought you would fall. I never thought you would turn on your own family," he wheezed.

"You blame me for betraying you?" Sasuke asked sharply, eyes flashing in anger. "You were going to kill me, your own son."

"You are no longer a _son_ of mine!" Kakashi exclaimed before sub coming to another coughing fit. His head tilted downwards as his body heaved, blood splattering on his chest, before he faced the creature once more.

A dark and bitter expression consumed Sasuke's face. His eyes intently focused on Kakashi's defeated form. His teeth clenched tightly, almost as if he was holding his tongue. But suddenly the expression was replaced by a sadistic grin, however it did not reach his eyes.

"No need to be bitter, _father_," Sasuke chided with a crooked smile. "I know how lonely you are. You need not worry, I wouldn't even dream of excluding you." This statement made the hunter's heart quiver with fear.

"No." He muttered.

Sasuke's eyes were alight with sick joy. He drew closer to the dying hunter so that his face was inches from his. "Think of this as my repayment for your kindness."

"I do not want anything from you!" He croaked. "Keep your curse!"

Sasuke shook his head in mock disappointment. "We don't want to separate the family now do we?" He scolded. "What about Naruto? He misses you." The sinister grin grew upon Sasuke's lips when he noticed the pain that flashed upon Kakashi's face when he mentioned the other fallen apprentice. "Don't fret!" He drew closer to the hunter's neck. "You'll be with him soon."

The vampire then lunged forward and Kakashi felt a sharp pain in his neck. A burning fire spread throughout his body, consuming him. The taste of copper met his lips and blood that wasn't his own slipped down his throat. He knew that he was changing, for he felt his heart stop and his sight fade to blackness. His body released one last shuddering sigh before it grew still, leaving only his mind awake. But it too was fading, and fading fast. _'So this is my end. Dear God, please, how can I save others from this fate?'_


End file.
